From usatopdentists.com, comes this list of dentists who received higher ratings in surveys of general dentists and specialists in all states. Search city-specific or statewide within a specialty (including General Dentistry.) Details on dates, methods and how many dentists responded to the survey are unclear (see Selection Process)

Estimates of the number and percent uninsured under age 65, by state and county for 2016, provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) released March 2018. Once you’ve located your counties of interest, click on TABLE to see the actual numbers and recent trends. Remember 2014 was the first year subsidized insurance was available on the health insurance exchange. Uninsured rates have declined since then.

Web site from US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) helps federal employees and others compare the benefits, member satisfaction, and employee costs of up to 4 health insurance plans at one time. Search by zip code; choose local plans and/or national plans. Convenient and current. The amount that taxpayers and government institutions pay toward the total health care premiums is no longer readily available

Compare hospitals on Early Elective Delivery and other Maternity measures. Goal was to reduce rates of scheduling C-Sections before the recommended 39 weeks, without a medically-indicated reason. Medical experts recommend that babies need at least 39 completed weeks to develop fully, which includes having a fully developed brain and other organs. Some hospitals do not report. See Maternity results on the 2017 hospital survey by the Leapfrog Group

Compare published prices for hospital Emergency Room visits, for all 14 hospitals in VT. Average is $317 ($217 for hospital and $100 for doctor, Level 1) to $1692 per visit ($1152 hospital, $540 doctor, Level 5), depending on level of complexity. Both facility and physician charges are shown – an amazing show of leadership in price transparency. Prices do NOT include lab tests, imaging tests or procedures during the ER visit. Prices were good from October 2016 to September 2017; still awaiting new prices for 2018

Table 2A lets you compare average gross charge (the closest you will get to average cost) for most common outpatient surgical procedures at 14 general hospitals in VT. Prices for procedures such as cataract surgery (average $5971), upper GI endoscopy ($3296), knee cartilage surgery ($8951 average), arthrocentesis joint aspiration ($774), gall bladder removal (average $12,804), breast biopsy (avg. $4422), other biopsies, ear tubes (average $3400), tonsillectomy ($6730), diagnostic cardiac cath ($22,834), bunion removal (11,501 avg; range $6401 in Springfield to $23,707 at Copley), colonoscopy $12,804 average, hernia repair $11,221, and many more procedures; 12-month avg. charges ending Sept. 30, 2015, DO NOT include the surgeon or other physician fees. As with all of Vermont’s reports, the font size is about as small as you can get. More than two years old, published 2017. Table 2B shows how many of those procedures the hospital did

State of Vermont (Act 53 Hospital reports) lists volume of inpatient hospital admissions for each VT hospital, along with the average price (charge) for the top 50 types of admission (by MS-DRG). See Financial and Pricing Information – Counts. 2017 report cards show counts to calculate market share for year ending Sept. 30, 2015

Provided by the Vermont Department of Health. Covers MDs only. Osteopathic doctors must be verified at the state Office of Professional Regulation (see next listing). Extensive profiles including years in practice, malpractice items, education, training and board certification

To verify license information on osteopathic physicians, chiropractors, nurses, nursing home administrators, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers and more, you can try this site through the Vermont Secretary of State. Select Osteopath to search by doctor’s (DO) name.

Find out how many outpatient surgeries (selected types) are done at each Vermont hospital, and the average price statewide (average gross charge) for period of Oct 2014 to Sept. 2015. Prices do not include physician charges. Volumes include cataract surgery, endoscopy, cholecystectomy (gall bladder surgery), colonoscopy, ear tubes (myringotomy), tonsillectomy, bunionectomy, circumcision, breast biopsy, outpatient cardiac catheterization, hernia repair and more. Part of the State Act 53 Hospital Community Report series, published 2017

About 90 prescription drugs used to be listed at this Vermont government site (Office of Attorney General of VT), where consumers could compare medication drug prices. Launched in 2007, unfortunately, some time after 2010 the Drug Price Finder service was discontinued. Formerly at atg.state.vt.us

Compare what hospitals in Vermont charged for physician office visits in 2016-2017. For example, code 99213 averages $170 (range $75 at Rutland to $533 at North Country) for an established patient; code 99214 average price is $228. New patient prices also shown. If non-hospital medical groups exist in VT, their fees are not shown. Provided by state of Vermont; prices good thru September 2017

Annual report on trends in health statistics from the publication Health, United States, 2016 edition, by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Report chartbook contains text and figures showing long term trends in the health and healthcare of Americans; 1975 to 2015; 114 tables. Published online by CDC May 2017; 488 pages

All states are ranked by The Commonwealth Fund in this State Scorecard on Health System Performance – Aiming Higher. Interactive database to see just your state. Better yet, check out who is at the top of the list: Vermont, Minnesota, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Colorado and Iowa. Data periods vary; most are current to 2015; one measure to 2013; 44 measures; published March 2017

State Snapshots show strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in health and healthcare, based on data from the National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR). How does your state rate? Updated annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, although dates are not clear unless you drill down to the specific measure

Other Helpful Listings

State Health Policy Survey Report provides a snap shot of the scope and operations of state government adverse event reporting systems as of 2014. At that time, only 6 states (CO, MN, NH, MA, CT and IN) reported facility-specific data to the public. Not much change since 2007. 31 pages, published by National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), Portland, Maine, January 2015

List of Accredited Chest Pain Centers – some with PCI (percutaneous cardiac intervention). Must meet emergency department requirements and standards for timely diagnosis and treatment. List is interactive by state or type of accreditation, including A Fib and cardiac cath. Shows location of each hospital. Provided by the nonprofit American College of Cardiology (ACC)

List of acupuncturists by state and country – note, many people are listed twice. Besides the US and Puerto Rico, professionals in Canada, Australia, UK (England, United Kingdom), India, and other countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East are included in the directory. Interesting observation: no acupuncturists in China are listed

The ALS Association is a non-profit dedicated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”). They select, certify and support regional ALS centers and clinics they recognize as the best in the field; and which have neurological diagnostics and imaging, and available certain on-site licensed and certified ancillary services

American Medical Association site provides information on members of the AMA first, but also lists information on non-member physicians. Site reports over 814,000 physicians listed, and if they are members of the AMA, shows a detailed profile with board certification as well as training. However, you may not find all doctors who are not members of the AMA, nor those not Board-certified.

ABMS is a highly-regarded, not-for-profit organization comprising 24 medical specialty boards, that oversees physician certification in the US. See whether your doctor is board-certified in his/her specialty (such as Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Surgery, Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine, Radiology, etc.) and in his/her subspecialty (such as Cardiovascular Disease, Geriatric Medicine, Oncology, Endocrinology, Neonatal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, etc.) Click on Is Your Doctor Certified on the left of the certification matters.org page (sponsored by abms.org). Registration (free) is required, and well worth it. We encourage visitors to use the site

Typical cost for home health aide in a licensed agency was $21.50 per hour nationwide (median). A private one bedroom Assisted Living facility cost more than $45,000 per year ($3750 per month). Semi-private nursing home median room rate was $235 per day, with Alaska at a whopping $800. All states listed; average adult day care and homemaker rates also shown. Survey by Genworth Financial (CareScout) in May and June 2017; published August 2017

The 2017 average health insurance premiums and amount of employee contribution for single, single-plus-one, and family coverage by selected cities and metropolitan regions, or remainder of state shown in this MEPS table of costs for private-sector businesses. Average single premiums in many parts of the country now exceed $7000 or even $8000 (Alaska). Lowest rate $4901 was in Provo-Orem UT. Average employee-plus-one premiums were over $10,000 across the US. Family premiums were best in San Antonio-New Braunfels TX at $13,813; but topped $22,700 in Anchorage, Alaska. Average Single contribution was under $2000 across the US. Coverage levels and plan design will vary

Find a treatment clinic or facility for mental health, alcohol, drug, and substance abuse treatment. Search up to a 200-mile radius or more, including crossing state lines. The Detailed search allows specifying outpatient, inpatient, residential treatment, or a mix of mental health and substance abuse services, and permits a full national search. May filter out smoking or nonsmoking locations. Site by the federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Searchable list of nearly 9000 mammography facilities by zip code or state that are certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Certifying State as meeting baseline Mammography Quality Standards for equipment, personnel and practices. Use the complete state list (sort by city) if you want a mammogram in another zip code – or you will likely miss some nearby facilities. As of May 1, 2018, just over half of facilities had been inspected, and nearly 87% had no violations, which was a little lower than last year.

List of federally funded community health centers that provide primary care, pregnancy care, physician office visits, immunizations, dental care, mental health and other services, regardless of ability to pay. Search by state, county or zip code. Every state appears to have special clinics for those without insurance. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have sliding fee scales for people up to 200% of poverty level

CMS lists nursing homes in any state and District of Columbia that have a history of serious quality problems. These Special Focus Facilities (SFF) have been officially entered into the federal government’s SFF program to monitor care. Homes on the list may have a history of “yo-yo” compliance, with a good survey followed by substandard quality on the next, thus unable to sustain good care. Some nursing homes are listed as Showing Improvement or having graduated out of the program. Updated April 19, 2018

American College of Surgeons offers the Commission on Cancer – Find Cancer Centers or Surgeons – Search by zip code (or city and state) and up to a 100 mile driving distance. Facilities are accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons. Accreditation of a cancer center is based on ability to comply with established CoC standards

WhyNotTheBest.org is a helpful website to check hospital ratings, although data are a bit old. Shows trends and in many cases which hospital has the best performance in the country. Currently using 2015-2016 data for most measures. Some measure are older. Heart care, pneumonia, surgery, patient satisfaction, survival rates (mortality) and more. Trends are shown for many hospitals, and you might be able to find Top Performers in the country at this website. Operated by IPRO

Northwestern Mutual surveyed assisted living facilities, home health agencies and Medicare-certified nursing homes in all states and DC in 2015. Average rate for assisted living was $4383 per month ($52,591 per year). Average daily rate for nursing home private room was $273 per day; home health aides averaged $26 per hour, but ranged from $18 per hour to $43/hr. depending on city

The project, run by Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth Medical School, highlights the wide variations in how health care is delivered across the United States. Online tool provides comparisons by geographic region (HSAs or HRR) for Medicare healthcare use (data through 2014). While the tool is relatively easy to use, the conceptual understanding of the reports requires technical sophistication

Compare services and ratings on kidney dialysis facilities in any state or US territory. Quality measures show relative survival among facilities and quality of care provided to Medicare patients at hospital-sponsored centers, nonprofit and for-profit dialysis centers. Resources on kidney failure and end stage renal disease (ESRD) also linked

This may be the only directory mega-list you will ever need. Directory links for doctors, dentists, hospitals, chiropractors, psychologists, hospice programs, and more. Extensive list of directories, although some sites only list those who are members of their association, and do not list others who may be licensed in that field. Specialized directories (e.g. Find an Eye MD, Directory of Asthma Camps, Sleep Centers, or Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers) can also be located here. Five pages of listings

Comprehensive index of over 6000 hospitals prepared jointly by the American Hospital Association and US News & World Report. Search by location. Descriptive information, and links to hospitals’ websites. Includes Guam, Puerto Rico. Well-maintained site

Patients may rate anyone called Doctor (such as chiropractors and dentists) in the US and selected countries at this site: RateMDs.com. As of May 2018, few physicians had more than 30 patient ratings. Most physicians only have one patient rating. Doctors are rated on their staff, their punctuality, helpfulness and knowledge. Unable to sort list by rankings or number of ratings. Consumers may add a comment. Be VERY CAUTIOUS in using these ratings as the results may NOT be valid.

Find out about ART clinics (Assisted Reproductive Technology) in the US and Puerto Rico, in this 586-page report by the CDC in conjunction with Reproductive Medicine societies. Shows success rates by age of woman, and both fresh and frozen embryo transfers. One-page summaries for each of 464 fertility clinics reporting 2015 data. Nationally, about 55.6% of fresh embryo transfers resulted in live births, with 42.3% of frozen embryos resulting in live births. Success rates decline with age of woman. Percentage of transfers resulting in pregnancy were 65.9% for fresh embryos and 52% for frozen. Pub. Oct. 2017

Federal government website at medicare.gov lists physicians by city (the zip code feature is not reliable yet) and specialty, including podiatry. Not too much information, usually less than you get at a state’s licensing site, even after 7 years since site launch. Maybe in the future it will contain useful quality comparisons. Psychologists, social workers, therapists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants & audiologists are not included

Search for what is here referred to as an Aging Life Care Professional (formerly geriatric care manager). The Aging Life Care Association was formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, Inc. This national directory is easy to use. Credentials of members listed will vary widely. The credentials of the Advanced Professionals may be the most useful. Not all areas of the US are covered.

Interactive database to help you find a board-certified physician with specialties in the specific type of cancer expertise you’re interested in, or types of oncology, tumors, etc. From the American Society of Clinical Oncology (cancer.net) ASCO website

Health insurance exchange website helps small businesses and individuals know what health insurance options are available to them. Search by zip code. Can compare 3 companies or plans at once; approximate monthly premiums are shown. No recommendations or rankings. From HHS at US government

Free registration is required to access the basic database, but it is worth your time. Guidestar.org is a go-to source. Most tax-exempt nonprofits file a Form 990 with the IRS, which shows important financial information and executive compensation (or portion of executive comp) received from that organization. Guidestar reports having over 7 million users per year

Use the Find and Compare hospitals tab to view patient satisfaction survey ratings and opinions by hospital inpatients across the US. Side by side comparisons for 3 hospitals at a time, 2016-2017 data. Find out how many patients would recommend their hospital, and the percent who give their hospital a 9 or 10 score. Voluntary hospital participation. Federal government oversees the HCAHPS survey process (H-Caps) – Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems

Overall composite home health ratings of quality and patient satisfaction based on a summary of 14 or more measures of care in 2015-2016. Health Insight, composed of locally governed organizations in four western states, used the national CMS measures and data to develop a composite ranking. Easier to use than the federal CMS website, but less detail. Interactive tool allows very fast search by state

Overall hospital rankings based on a summary of readmissions, mortality, AMI (heart attack), heart failure, stroke, blood clot, surgical infection prevention rankings, plus patient opinions and more. Health Insight, a project of Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada, developed a helpful composite ranking for nearly every hospital in the nation, using at least 30 national CMS measures and satisfaction ratings from inpatients. Results shown by state. Easier to use than the federal HospitalCompare website, but less detail. Dates are a little unclear

Overall composite nursing home quality ratings based on a summary of 15 quality measures on over 15,000 nursing homes in 2017 (page footnote says 2016). Health Insight, developed by Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico, used the national CMS measures and data to develop a composite ranking. Easier to use than the federal CMS website, but less detail.

This tool gives detailed information about Medicare-certified home health agencies. Search by county or zip code and see performance scores related to home care services. Find the graphs to compare agencies on measures related to managing daily activities, pain, teaching patients or their caregivers, getting readmitted to the hospital and more. Five star rating system and actual scores. Patient satisfaction ratings included, with a national average of 78% who would recommend their agency. 2016-2017 data

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the US. Their searchable database helps consumers find a member hospice, including those who have signed the Quality Partners Pledge

Compare up to 3 hospices at a time at Hospice Compare, a new service reported in August 2017. Site currently uses data on 7 measures related to patient preferences and quality of care in managing pain and treating symptoms, 2016 data, updated quarterly by CMS. Search by zip code, state or city. All hospice agencies report, or face financial penalties. Published by the federal government.

Find the average price for 28 types of hospital outpatient charges to Medicare patients. Includes average charge for 24 million Hospital Clinic Visits ($199) and average discount of 52%; Level 1 through Level 3 examinations (average charge from $109 to $1334, with discounts from 53% to 72%.) All other procedures (APCs) such as Endoscopy, nerve injections, ultrasound, EKG, MRI, Pulmonary Tests, Cardiac Imaging, Sleep Studies, Excision/Biopsy, Debridement, Noninvasive physiologic studies, eye tests, or electronic analysis of devices, have Medicare discounts from 63% to 90% off the charges. Example: Medicare paid $277 (including patient portion) on an average charge of $2867 for an MRI in CY 2015. Each state’s average is also shown. In a separate Excel file, find the average charge by hospital (excluding Critical Access Hospitals). Difficult to use, from CMS August 2017

Federal government site from CMS shows whether hospitals meet expected 30-day survival rates for heart attack and heart failure Medicare cases. National death rates were 13.6% for heart attack, 11.9% for heart failure and 3.2% for CABG (heart bypass) surgery patients. Compare hospitals in your area. The number of hospitals that were significantly worse than the national value were 22 for heart attack, 100 for heart failure and 18 for CABG. Results updated 2017, 2013-2016 data

Federal government site from CMS shows whether hospitals met expected 30-day survival rates for Medicare pneumonia patients. The national Risk-Adjusted death rates (mortality rates) were 15.9% for pneumonia. Of US hospitals measured and reported, vast majority were statistically no different than national average; 248 hospitals had worse survival rates. Find pneumonia mortality ratings under Complications and Deaths measures. Results use 2013-2016 data, updated 2017

Federal government site from CMS shows whether hospitals met expected 30-day survival rates for Medicare stroke patients. The national Risk-Adjusted death rates (mortality rates) were 14.6% for stroke. Of US hospitals measured and reported, vast majority were statistically no different than national average; 71 hospitals had worse survival rates. Find stroke mortality ratings under Complications and Deaths measures. Results use 2013-2016 data, updated 2017

Federal government gives 1 to 5 stars and compares hospital ratings for heart attack (AMI), heart failure, pneumonia, COPD, stroke, hip & knee, preventing surgery infections, timeliness of Emergency (ER) dept., use of medical imaging in 2016 to 2017. Includes death rate comparisons from heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia, COPD, stroke, CABG; and return to hospital (readmission) rates. Click on Timely & Effective Care, or Complications. Shows 2016 volume and patient satisfaction HCAHPS ratings from 2016-2017. Some info on colonoscopies and cataracts. Editor’s Pick because the government standardized broad ratings for all hospitals, and most ratings are based on more than just Medicare patients. However, it is still complicated. Small volume hospitals will not show data for some measures. Be sure to click on Show Graphs or View More Details. Today’s stars may reflect older data than shown at the website. Read the fine print

Federal government site from CMS shows whether hospitals met expected 30-day survival rates for Medicare COPD patients. The national Risk-Adjusted death rate (mortality rate) was 8.0% for COPD. Of US hospitals measured and reported, vast majority were statistically no different than national average; some hospitals had worse survival rates. Find COPD mortality ratings under Complications and Deaths. Results use 2013-2016 data, updated 2017

Kaiser Family Foundation reports average health insurance premium cost of $6368 per year (about $531 per month) from 2017 for a single person’s policy. Only five states averaged less than $6000 for a year for one person: AR, GA, ID, MS and NV. Employee contributions were the lowest in Hawaii at about $56 per month, with employer contributions picking up the rest of the cost. Employees paid on average $146 per month in Massachusetts, the highest contribution. Average single employee contribution in US was about $118 per mo. ($1415 per year) or 22% of the total premium; employers paid 78% of single coverage premiums on average. Compare how much a month insurance costs in each state. Benefit coverage varies by state and policy.

J.D. Power and Associates shows ratings in selected states and regions for commercial health plans on Overall member satisfaction, Choice of doctors & hospitals, Communication, Claims processing, Out-of-pocket costs, Coverage and benefits, and Customer service. Member satisfaction survey was done in early 2017; see press release for methodology

Site shows race/ethnicity comparisons for health insurance coverage and uninsured. Shows 2016 data, the third year of coverage through the Health Exchanges. Highest uninsured rates were in TX (17%); Alaska and Florida tied for second worst at 15% uninsured; AZ, Georgia and Mississippi followed with 14% uninsured

The Leapfrog Group, an employer-based coalition, asks hospitals to voluntarily report how closely they follow recommended quality and safety practices. CLICK on the blue [i] to the right of each green bar chart to find out if your hospital meets survival expectations and volume standards of 50 High-Risk Delivery-Neonatal ICU patients per year. Info on infection rates and early elective cesarean deliveries also reported. Many hospitals participate; easy to compare. Updated for 2017, but period covered is unclear. Leapfrog was a pioneer in getting ratings in the public eye

Leapfrog named 109 hospitals to its 2017 Top Hospitals list, including 10 top children’s hospitals and 18 rural hospitals. Hospitals must have responded to Leapfrog’s Hospital Survey. Leapfrog Group is a large employer-based organization whose mission is to trigger giant leaps forward in the safety, quality and affordability of health care. The measures emphasize patient safety

If you like to browse, your state’s site may have additional information about health insurance. These links are provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the organization of insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. The NAIC site has a Consumer Information Source to find medical loss ratios, financial information, and complaint information on the exchange, HMOs and other health insurance providers

This fraud prevention site is by the HHS Office of Inspector General. It allows consumer to search for a specific name of a person or business to see if they have been excluded from receiving payment from Medicare and Medicaid, due to license revocation, suspension or surrender; program-related fraud; patient abuse or neglect, and other reasons such as default on Health Education Assistance Loans. Exclusions Database contains physicians, nurses, nurses’ aides, hospital employees, pharmacists, nursing home operators and more. Thousands of listings

A difficult to use Excel file of amounts paid to hospitals by Medicare, on average for FY 2015. Listed by DRG and provider, consumers can see the Medicare volume for that diagnosis and how much the hospital was allowed as Covered Charges, plus what Medicare payments were.

Compare the prices (monthly premium average cost) for prescription drug coverage through Medicare (medicare.gov) and see which plans have higher ratings. Uses a 5-star quality rating system that includes member satisfaction survey reports. 2018 premiums available for open enrollment ending Dec. 7, 2017

Compare quality ratings for HMOs and PPO health insurance plans. Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser, United Healthcare – they’re all here, as are many non-profit regional plans. Star ratings and number of enrollees shown for accredited commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans. NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) is a private nonprofit organization that sets standards for quality of care and service that health plans provide to their members. NCQA Accreditation is a nationally recognized seal of approval. Updated 2018

Free 5-star ratings from Nursing Home Compare for nursing homes that are Medicare or Medicaid certified and provide skilled nursing care. Quality ratings, nursing staffing and CNA hours per resident day, and results from survey inspection reports are updated with 2017 data. If you cannot find the nursing home you’re interested in, the facility might not accept Medicare and Medicaid patients. Check your state reports for additional information. Consumers can also ask the nursing facility to share their reports on resident and family satisfaction. Good nursing homes welcome your inquiry

MemberoftheFamily.net provides information about 16,000 Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the United States, including reports based on recent government surveys. This watch list tends to identify a lot of nursing homes where quality of care concerns have been identified. Updated with 2017 reports

Browse this database of members in the LeadingAge (formerly American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, AAHSA) to find nursing homes, assisted living facilities, independent living, adult day care and home & community-based services. Shaped by not-for-profit values

Medicare reported its average allowed cost for established patients’ physician office visit in 2012: $69 for CPT code 99213, $102 for 99214. For new patients, office visit 99203 was $103, and 99204 was $158 Allowed by Medicare. More allowed costs and Medicare payments are shown, including ear wax removal ($49 allowed) and Annual wellness visit for new Medicare enrollees ($165 allowed, and $165 paid by Medicare). Average payments exclude the amount the patient pays directly for co-pays and deductibles. Consumers are expected to know CPT codes and how to use Excel files. 2012 data published Sept. 2013

Hospitals with Palliative Care programs are listed in this directory by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) in conjunction with the National Palliative Care Registry. Palliative care specializes in the relief of the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness; it can be provided along with curative treatment.

Difficult file to use for find out what Medicare paid for certain types of office visits and procedures in 2012. Average doctor’s price is NOT SHOWN, but only the allowed amount determined by Medicare, and how much Medicare paid on average (for every state). Must know how to use Excel files and billing code knowledge also helpful. Medicare paid $49 for a 99213 office code (15 minute office visit for an established patient) and $73 for a 25-minute office visit, and just $101 for a 60-minute visit (est. patients). If the patient was new, Medicare paid $73 on average for a 30 minute visit, and $116 for 45 minutes. Medicare’s annual wellness visit was paid at $165 for new enrollees, then $111 for subsequent annual visits. The most common EKG was paid at $14, ear wax removal at $36, pneumonia or annual flu shot at $23. Terribly dated; last updated Sept. 2013

Find out how a sample of 6000 physicians rate Blue Cross, Aetna, CIGNA, Harvard Pilgrim, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Kaiser, Oxford, Humana, HealthNet and UnitedHealthcare health insurance companies (payers). On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), the best can only muster a 3.3 overall rating. Scores indicate how easy a health plan is to do business with. By Medscape. Last Pub. 2014

5 hospital winners were selected for the QUEST® Award for High-value Healthcare. They achieved top performance in all seven of the areas measured: cost and efficiency, inpatient and outpatient evidence-based care, mortality, safety, patient experience and appropriate hospital use.

The mission of the QIO program is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and quality of services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. It has been modified to incorporate Quality Innovation Networks and complaints on behalf of patients and beneficiaries. Find a Quality Improvement Organization here, organized by region and area

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities offers the ability to do an online search for accredited facilities with specific rehab programs you may be interested in. Includes Behavioral Health, Pain Management, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord, Physical Rehab, Aging services, and more. Search engine is either simple (just zip code) or very complicated because of its detail, abbreviations and multiple choices

Have you ever wondered where the 27 million people under age 65 and without health insurance are located, after the Exchange went into effect? Kaiser Family Foundation shows the number uninsured by state. Ten states make up 59% (over 16 million) of the US uninsured under 65: Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Arizona, Virginia and New Jersey. KFF statehealthfacts.org updated 2017

Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts shows state by state map and table for percent of smokers who attempted to Quit Smoking. Overall 59% tried to quit, US-wide according to the most recent (2016) data. What is happening in your state?

Identifies 27 states and Wash. DC that require adverse event reporting. Prepared by the National Academy for State Health Policy, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to helping states achieve excellence in health policy and practice. Pub. Dec. 2007. The 2014 updated report (pub. Feb. 2015) identifies 26 states and DC, but was not available online in Jan. 2018.

Compare individual surgeons’ complication rates (risk-adjusted) for Medicare patients having one of 8 types of inpatient surgery: hip or knee replacement, laparoscopic gallbladder removal, cervical (neck) or lumbar spinal fusion (either posterior or anterior technique), and prostate resection or removal. Analysis by ProPublica looked at billing records from 2009 to 2013. Numbers of cases shown are MEDICARE-ONLY (although the column title omits that point), and require at least 20 cases for a doctor’s rate to be shown. Physician’s rate combines his/her Medicare cases at all hospitals. Website was somewhat controversial in 2015. Tool is easy to use; data have not been updated

Waiting list numbers of people waiting for a transplant: Kidney, pancreas, liver, intestine, heart, lung transplants. In January 2018, about 115,000 people were waiting for a kidney. Survival rates shown on a regional level

Level I, II and III Trauma Centers are listed here, by state (and other international locations), at the American College of Surgeons’ website. Trauma Center designation is a voluntary process that hospitals may choose to pursue for Adult and/or Pediatric care. Level I is the highest level of five levels.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins (Baltimore) top the list of 20 US hospitals identified (from 4658 nationwide), who rank favorably in multiple specialties. Check the details to see specifics for a certain illness, since one hospital may not be ranked (by US News) as best in everything. Methodology report shows how the hospitals scored. Survival rate (30-day mortality rate) for Medicare patients and Patient Safety are two factors used in the rankings for most of the specialties. Reputation used for Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology. 2017-2018 ratings use Medicare data from 2013-2015

US News & World Report named MD Anderson (Houston, TX) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering (New York) as its 2017 leaders of the top 50 hospitals for cancer care in the US. Scoring includes survival (30-day mortality), professional reputation, designation from the National Cancer Institute and other factors

Top of the Cardiac specialty list: Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) and Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN). Top 50 hospitals ranked. See if there is one in your state. Rankings include survival ratings using Medicare data from 2013 to 2015. Hospitals ranked higher if they participated in public transparency reporting by the medical professional societies. Minimum volume of 1382 cases over 3 years, of which 500 needed to be surgical

Detailed scorecard for all of the Veterans Health Administration hospitals using 2012 data. Ratings for heart care, diabetes, pneumonia, health screening, surgery and other infections, quality of care, patient satisfaction, waiting times, continuity of care, accreditation and patient safety. Report is not user friendly since consumers will have to dive into the 35 pages of data tables. (Only page 22 in the Report Card shows comparisons). But if you really want to compare VA hospitals, the information is there. December 2013

The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) makes its VA Medical Center oversight reports available online. Titles include Combined Assessment Program or Community Based Outpatient Clinic Reviews; Audits; or Healthcare Inspections. Listed by date; use filters on right within each category to select location. Topics include quality ratings and patient safety, consumer satisfaction & experience of care, nursing home contracts, screening and/or treatment times, volumes and more. Updated 2018

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a convenient search tool to find medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics. Facilities in the US, American Samoa, Philippine Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

Walmart has implemented a limited-scope program for nearly 100 generic drugs (with multiple drug/dose combinations) offered at a $4 price for a 30-day supply in most states. Most drugs may also be purchased at $10 for a 90-day supply. Available in all states except North Dakota. However: Due to FAIR PRICING laws in CA, HI, MN, MT, PA, TN, WI and WY, many drugs will carry higher prices, or may not be available. Prices apply to Sam’s Club pharmacies also

List names top 100 hospitals in categories according to size and teaching status using Medicare data primarily from 2015 and 2016, other publicly reported patient satisfaction scores and results such as mortality rates, readmissions, ER times and spending at HospitalCompare. While no data are shown for individual hospital performance, Truven makes a case that as a group these hospitals outperform their peers in quality and efficiency (lower expenses). Free report shows winners’ names only; some winners received the Everest Award for also improving at the fastest rate over the long term. Methodology examines survival, complications and readmissions, patient recommendations; efficiency and profitability. Released March 2018